美联社新闻一分钟 2006-08-02

1. The Cuban government says Fidel Castro is recovering from intestinal¹ surgery and that his final moment is still very far away. The statement comes one day after Castro turned over power of the communist country to his brother.

2. Three hours before the official end of a two-day halt in the air war with Lebanon, Israeli warplanes have attacked at least five suspected Hezbollah strongholds. Aid groups complained the ongoing² violence is slowing their efforts to get food and medicine to strand³ed Lebanese civilians⁵.

3. The East Coast is scorching⁶ hot and it's likely to get even hotter in the coming days. New York's Central Park hit 95 today, and the National Weather Service says it could reach 104 on Wednesday. Mayor Michael Bloomberg calls it a dangerous heat wave.

4. Mel Gibson says he is no bigot and in a statement released today apologized again for, what he calls, harmful words when he was arrested on a DUI charge last week. He is also asking for a meeting with Jewish community leaders. Meanwhile, an independent committee review finds the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department showed no favoritism to Gibson on the night of his arrest.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. intestinal : adj
Intestinal means relating to the intestines⁷. (FORMAL)
intestine : n-count
Your intestines are the tubes in your body through which food passes when it has left your stomach.

2. strand : verb
If you are stranded⁴, you are prevented from leaving a place, for example because of bad weather.

3. bigot : n-count
If you describe someone as a bigot, you mean that they are bigoted⁸.
bigoted : adj, disapproval
Someone who is bigoted has strong, unreasonable⁹ prejudices or opinions and will not change them, even when they are proved to be wrong.

1 intestinal   

adj.肠的；肠壁；肠道细菌

参考例句：

• A few other conditions are in high intestinal obstruction. 其它少数情况是高位肠梗阻。 来自辞典例句
• This complication has occasionally occurred following the use of intestinal antiseptics. 这种并发症偶而发生在使用肠道抗菌剂上。 来自辞典例句

2 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

3 strand   

vt.使（船）搁浅，使（某人）困于（某地）

参考例句：

• She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.她把一缕散发夹到了耳后。
• The climbers had been stranded by a storm.登山者被暴风雨困住了。

4 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

5 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

6 scorching   

adj. 灼热的

参考例句：

• a scorching, pitiless sun 灼热的骄阳
• a scorching critique of the government's economic policy 对政府经济政策的严厉批评

7 intestines   

n.肠( intestine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perhaps the most serious problems occur in the stomach and intestines. 最严重的问题或许出现在胃和肠里。 来自辞典例句
• The traps of carnivorous plants function a little like the stomachs and small intestines of animals. 食肉植物的捕蝇器起着动物的胃和小肠的作用。 来自辞典例句

8 bigoted   

adj.固执己见的，心胸狭窄的

参考例句：

• He is so bigoted that it is impossible to argue with him.他固执得不可理喻。
• I'll concede you are not as bigoted as some.我承认你不象有些人那么顽固。

9 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。